Method of mounting a heat exchanger core

ABSTRACT

Resilient elements are provided for the mounting of a heat exchanger core between structurally joined inlet and outlet ducts.

United States Patent 1191 1111 3,858,291 Perpall Jan. 7, 1975 METHOD OF MOUNTING A HEAT [56] References Cited EXCHANGER CORE UNITED STATES PATENTS [75] Inventor: Robert C. Perpall, Palos Verdes 1,840,417 1/ 1932 Seelert 165/69 Peninsula, Calif. 2,004,151 6/1935 Angstman 165/69 2,340,853 2 1944 Y Asslgneel The Corporatwn, L05 2,351,425 6/1944 1122:1511 29 i 5 7 ii Angeles, Cahf- 2,512,748 6/1950 Lu cl e 165/83 [22] Filed: y 18, 1973 3,768,550 10/1973 W1ll1ams0n et al. 285/368 X PP N08 ,995 Primary Examiner-C. W. Lanham Related Application Data Assistant Examinerl). C. Rlebilley, Ill/fll [62] Division ofSer. No. 222,125, Jan. 31, 1972, Pat. No. Agem or F"m A er 7 [57] ABSTRACT [52] US Cl 29/157-3 60/599 165/69 Resilient elements are provided for the mounting of a [51 1m. (:1 B21d 53/02, 823p /26 heat exchange, Core between structurally joined inlet Field of Search 29/1573 R; /13 R, 599, 60/604; /69, 82, 83; 277/212 R; 285/368 and outlet ducts.

4 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures Patented Jan. 7, 1975 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 METHOD OF MOUNTING A HEAT EXCHANGER CORE This is a divisional of application Ser. No. 222,125, filed Jan. 31, 1972 now U.S. Pat. No. 3,775,972.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION attached. Mounting of the heat exchanger in this fashion subjects the heat exchanger core to any structural or vibratory loads associated with the system to which the heat exchanger is mounted.

It has recently been proposed to utilize separate heat exchangers in connection with vehicular engines, in particular to cool engine intake air which has been compressed by a turbocharger compressor. This cooling is required in order to increase the air density and to reduce the overall general temperature load of the engine. As the horse power rating of the vehicular engines has increased, the conventional water cooling systems are proving to be inadequate for this additional cooling load. The mounting of a heat exchanger in this environment places severe burdens on the conventional heat exchangers ability to remain structurally sound for an acceptable operating life.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a heat exchanger particularly adaptable for use in generally adverse environments. The heat exchanger core is provided with a gasket or sealing element of a resilient or elastomeric material on both the inlet face and outlet face thereof. The gasket may extend a short distance around the sideof tion is applicable to all types of heat exchangers including cross flow, counterflow, tubular, plate-fin, etc. For purposes of illustration, FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 illustrate a conventional, cross flow, plate-fin heat exchanger including offset corrugated fins in the separate fluid passageways. The frontal view shown in FIG. 1 illustrates the inlet face 11 of the high pressure side or hot fluid side of the heat exchanger core 10. The hot fluid or high pressure passages 12 separated by header bars 14 to prevent hot fluid flow into the cold fluid passages are also shown. The resilient material or clastomeric gasket 16 is shown extending around the entire periphery of the inlet face 11 of the heat exchanger core 10. As more clearly shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the gasket 16 includes a side extension or wrap around portion 18 which extends around two opposed edges of the heat exchanger inlet face ll. The side view of the heat exchanger core illustrated in FIG. 2, shows the low pressure inlet face which includes cold fluid passageways 20 and side header bars 22. The top view, FIG. 3, is partially cut away to show a cold fluid passage 20 and hot fluid passage 12.

the heat exchanger core away from the inlet and outlet faces thereof respectively. The heat exchanger core does not include any flanges or other structurally supporting mounting means.

The inlet duct and outlet duct on opposite sides of the heat exchanger are structurally connected to compress the gasket both on the inlet and outlet faces of the heat exchanger core and along the side edges of the inlet and outlet faces thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 6 is a view of the gasket of FIG. 4 shown fully I compressed;

FIG. 7 is a schematic plan view of the heat exchanger of the present invention shown mounted on a turbocharged vehicular engine.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The heat exchanger mounting of the present inven- The configuration of the gasket 16 is more clearly illustrated in FIGS. 4,5 and 6. The gasket includes a first flat face 30 which abuts the inlet face 11 of the heat exchanger core and a second flat face 3 2'dispos'ed at a 90 angle to the first flat face 30 to extend along the side face 19 of the heat exchanger core'l0 adjacent to the inlet face 11. The main portion of the gasket, which extends around the entire inlet face 11, includes an outward projection 34 having a substantially flat outer surface disposed at a slight angle from the plane of the inlet face 11.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the inlet duct associated with the heat exchanger core 10 will include a flange 40 having a flat face in substantially the same plane as the inlet face 11 of the heat exchanger core 10 so as to compress the gasket projection 34 towards the same plane as the inlet face 11. The inlet duct would also include a flange 42 to compress the side extending or wrap around portion 18 of the gasket 16 along the face 19 of the heat exchanger core 10. This flange '42 should be slightly flared to facilitate positioning of the core 10 and compression of the gasket.

As shown in FIG. 7, the heat exchanger mounting of the present invention is particularly adapted for use in adverse environments such as on a vehicular engine. The heat exchanger core 10, including a gasket 16 on both the hot fluid inlet and outlet faces thereof, is dis posed between a compressed air duct which receives compressed air from an engine turbocharger compressor 52, and the engine inlet manifold 54 which includes a manifold duct 56. The compressed air duct 50 and inlet manifold duct 56 includes flanges 58 and 60 respectively to engage the gaskets 16 on the heat exchanger core 10. A plurality of tie rods 62, together with structural sections of the inlet manifold duct 56, are used to join the compressed air duct 50 and inlet manifold duct 56 to secure the heat exchanger core 10 therebetween. Cooled air may be passed through the low pressure or cold side of the heat exchanger core 10 by a tip-turbine driven fan 64 which is driven by a portion of the compressed air from the turbocharger compressor 52 through bypass duct 66.

The gasket 16 may be of any resilient material such as a silicone elastomer (Silastic, a trademark of Dow Coming). The gasket material must be selected to provide reasonable life when subjected to the operating environment in which the heat exchanger is to be used. The gasket in most instances would be bonded to the inlet and outlet faces in the heat exchanger core by a Room Temperature Vulcanizing (RTV) Silicone Elastomer. The core can then be inserted directly into the cavity in the ducts carrying the fluid to be cooled and the assembly squeezed to a predetermined dimension by means of the tie bolts or other flange joining means.

In this manner the heat exchanger core does not require any integral flanges or machining operations prior to its use. Further, the ducts in which the heat exchanger core is to be inserted can be of cast material.

and likewise do not require any machining operations before use.

Mounting of the heat exchanger in this manner provides that the inlet and outlet ducts take substantially all of the structural load. The heat exchanger core is thus not required to carry any load. Further, this method of heat exchanger mounting easily accommodates any thermal expansion in either the heat exchanger core or the inlet and outlet ducts.

The side extending positions of the gaskets provide considerable resistance to vibration in all directions. This wrap around feature is exceedingly important in the vehicular applications. In order to insure that the resonant vibration frequency of the heat exchanger core is always higher than any driving frequency present, the squeeze or pressure on the gasket should be controlled.

Heat exchangers mounted in accordance with the present invention provide adequate sealing for the high pressure or hot fluid, while effectively preventing vibratory, thermal expansion or rigging stress from being transmitted to the fragile heat exchanger core. In addition, the mounting costs are reduced since no machining operations are required. Further the heat exchanger core can be easily replaced or removed for cleaning without damaging or replacing the more costly ducts. While specific embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it is to be understood that these embodiments are provided by way of example only and that the invention is not to be construed as being limited thereto, but only by the proper scope of the following claims.

What i claim is: l. A method of mounting a heat exchanger core, having opposed inlet and outlet faces, between an inlet duct and an outlet duct, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a first resilient gasket around the periphery of the inlet face of the heat exchanger core and a second resilient gasket around the periphery of the opposed outlet face of the heat exchanger core;

disposing the heat exchanger core with the resilient gaskets between an inlet duct and an structurally joining the inlet duct to the outlet duct around the heat exchanger core to at least partially compress the resilient gaskets between the inlet and outlet ducts and the opposed inlet and outlet faces respectively.

2. A method of mounting a plate fin heat exchanger core, having a high pressure inlet face and an opposed high pressure outlet face, between an inlet duct and an outlet duct, said method comprising the steps of:

bonding a first resilient gasket around the periphery of the high pressure inlet face of the plate fin heat exchanger core;

bonding a second resilient gasket around the periphery of the opposed high pressure outlet face of the plate fin heat exchanger core;

providing an inletduct to deliver high pressure fluid to the high pressure inlet face of the heat exchanger core;

providing an outlet duct to receive high pressure fluid from the high pressure outlet face of the heat exchanger core;

disposing the heat exchanger core between the inlet and outlet ducts; and structurally joining the inlet duct to the outlet duct around the heat exchanger core to at least partially compress the first resilient gasket between the inlet duct and the inlet face of the heat exchanger core and to at least partially compress the second resilient gasket between the outlet duct and the outlet face of the heat exchanger core. 3. A method of mounting a plate fin heat exchanger core, having opposed high pressure inlet and outlet faces, between a high pressure inlet duct and a high pressure outlet duct, said method comprising the steps of:

providing resilient gaskets around the periphery of the high pressure inlet face and the opposed high pressure outlet face of the heat exchanger core;

disposing the heat exchanger core with the resilient gaskets between the high pressure inlet duct and the high pressure outlet duct, the high pressure inlet face resilient gasket disposed between the high pressure inlet face and the high pressure inlet duct and the high pressure outlet face resilient gasket disposed between the high pressure outlet face and the high pressure outlet duct; and

structurally joining the inlet duct directly to the outlet duct around the heat exchanger core to at least partially compress the resilient gaskets between the high pressure inlet and outlet ducts and the high pressure inlet and outlet faces respectively to structurally isolate the heat exchanger core from the inlet and outlet ducts.

4. A method of mounting a heat exchanger core, having a high pressure inlet face and an opposed high pres sure outlet face. between an inlet duct and an outlet duct, said method comprising the steps of:

bonding a first resilient gasket around the periphery of the high pressure inlet face of the heat exchanger core;

bonding a second resilient gasket around the periphery of the opposed high pressure outlet face of the heat exchanger core;

providing an inlet duct to deliver high pressure fluid to the high pressure inlet face of the heat exchanger core; providing an outlet duct to receive high pressure fluid from the high pressure outlet face of the heat exchanger core;

disposing the heat exchanger core between the inlet and outlet ducts; and

structurally joining the inlet duct to the outlet duct I around the heat exchanger core to at least partially compress the flrst resilient gasket between the inlet duct and the inlet face of the heat exchanger core and to at least partially compress the second resilient gasket between the outlet duct and the outlet face of the heat exchanger core, without structurally joining the heat exchanger core to the inlet and outlet ducts.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3, 858, 291 Dated Jan. 7, l 975 Invent Robert C. Perpall It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Claim 1, line 10, after "and an" add -=-outlet ductg and-- Signed and fieaied this twenty-seventh D f January 1976 [SEAL] Attest:

RUTH C. MASON C. MARSHALL DANN Arresting Officer Commissioner uflarents and Trademarks 

1. A method of mounting a heat exchanger core, having opposed inlet and outlet faces, between an inlet duct and an outlet duct, said method comprising the steps of: providing a first resilient gasket around the periphery of the inlet face of the heat exchanger core and a second resilient gasket around the periphery of the opposed outlet face of the heat exchanger core; disposing the heat exchanger core with the resilient gaskets between an inlet duct and an structurally joining the inlet duct to the outlet duct around the heat exchanger core to at least partially compress the resilient gaskets between the inlet and outlet ducts and the opposed inlet and outlet faces respectively.
 2. A method of mounting a plate fin heat exchanger core, having a high pressure inlet face and an opposed high pressure outlet face, between an inlet duct and an outlet duct, said method comprising the steps of: bonding a first resilient gasket around the periphery of the high pressure inlet face of the plate fin heat exchanger core; bonding a second resilient gasket around the periphery of the opposed high pressure outlet face of the plate fin heat exchanger core; providing an inlet duct to deliver high pressure fluid to the high pressure inlet face of the heat exchanger core; providing an outlet duct to receive high pressure fluid from the high pressure outlet face of the heat exchanger core; disposing the heat exchanger core between the inlet and outlet ducts; and structurally joining the inlet duct to the outlet duct around the heat exchanger core to at least partially compress the first resilient gasket between the inlet duct and the inlet face of the heat exchanger core and to at least partially compress the second resilient gasket between the outlet duct and the outlet face of the heat exchanger core.
 3. A method of mounting a plate fin heat exchanger core, having opposed high pressure inlet and outlet faces, between a high pressure inlet duct and a high pressure outlet duct, said method comprising the steps of: providing resilient gaskets around the periphery of the high pressure inlet face and the opposed high pressure outlet face of the heat exchanger core; disposing the heat exchanger core with the resilient gaskets between the high pressure inlet duct and the high pressure outlet duct, the high preSsure inlet face resilient gasket disposed between the high pressure inlet face and the high pressure inlet duct and the high pressure outlet face resilient gasket disposed between the high pressure outlet face and the high pressure outlet duct; and structurally joining the inlet duct directly to the outlet duct around the heat exchanger core to at least partially compress the resilient gaskets between the high pressure inlet and outlet ducts and the high pressure inlet and outlet faces respectively to structurally isolate the heat exchanger core from the inlet and outlet ducts.
 4. A method of mounting a heat exchanger core, having a high pressure inlet face and an opposed high pressure outlet face, between an inlet duct and an outlet duct, said method comprising the steps of: bonding a first resilient gasket around the periphery of the high pressure inlet face of the heat exchanger core; bonding a second resilient gasket around the periphery of the opposed high pressure outlet face of the heat exchanger core; providing an inlet duct to deliver high pressure fluid to the high pressure inlet face of the heat exchanger core; providing an outlet duct to receive high pressure fluid from the high pressure outlet face of the heat exchanger core; disposing the heat exchanger core between the inlet and outlet ducts; and structurally joining the inlet duct to the outlet duct around the heat exchanger core to at least partially compress the first resilient gasket between the inlet duct and the inlet face of the heat exchanger core and to at least partially compress the second resilient gasket between the outlet duct and the outlet face of the heat exchanger core, without structurally joining the heat exchanger core to the inlet and outlet ducts. 